Let's Meet on the City Streets of Monopoly

Do you remember the days when families would gather around in the living room and play Monopoly? Laughing, buying property, and earning big bucks; sabotage anyone who would dare take, destroy, or impede on your prosperity or real estate. With work hours, teenage years, and taking care of house the times seem to be dwindling. However, Monopoly has offered another opportunity for their players; an online, computer based Monopoly City Streets game that uses Google Maps as your game board!

To start you must register the official website. Completing this will lead you straight in the game. Monopoly City Streets believes "Your goal is simple. Become the richest property magnate in the world!" Ambitious, to say the least, they recommend you to first buy and own the very street you live on. Then conquering your neighborhood, your town, and, possibly, the world. To start they give you 3 million Monopoly dollars and suggest you buy any street that is not locked; meaning a street free from the bank or another player. If you build for rent this earns you cash thus extending income. If a street is desired but a fellow player owns it you have the opportunity to negotiate, however there is a 7 day rule with this scenario. For example, if a request is made from another player to purchase property and you don't respond within the given 7 day time limit your account will automatically accept it; the need for frequent check in is a necessity.

Chance cards are given randomly to players. They offer bonuses, money and giving and escaping from trouble. Three are dealt at times; Hazard, Bulldozer and Bonus Building cards. The Hazard permits you to build horrendous sewage and prison works and power plants on a player's street; devaluing the other player's property. Bulldozer offers the destruction of any such building someone has planted on your street. The Bonus Building card defends your top earning streets from player's looking to attack it.

Streets are colored red, which is owned by you; purple, which is owned by the bank, and blue. Blues are owned by fellow players of Monopoly City Streets. Besides the glorious colors, gamers are also put into Leader categories; World, National, City and Friend's.

Inside players suggest staying low key in the beginning and not cruise for ego inflation. Staying away from big name streets until you earned a substantial amount of money or earn enough Chance Cards to save you from possible ruin is well advised. Also, purchasing one long road for $1 million and staking it with 20 or so city centre cottages is advocated. Claiming the city centre cottages are the "best bang for your buck." If you purchase $1.5 million of city centre cottages you will rake in approximately 1.5 million Monopoly dollars per day. If money runs sparingly, Monopoly City Streets proposes to sell a street to the bank for cash.

The great thing about it all is the signing up process is completely free, and with a hefty cash front you can be a kid in a candy store. Time is up January 31, 2010, as this is the game's online test run. So if you're an inspiring world dominator or a lover of Monopoly this is your moment. Seize the day!